Are you constantly searching for the perfect bag for work? I am. It's a struggle to find one that is stylish yet functional and capable of holding all our crap: computer, iPhone, iPad, makeup, business cards, water and who-knows-what-else.
Jordan with me in the Texas Rangers press box in 2013
I have had some conversations lately with mothers who are wallowing in the guilt of being a "working mom". They hate going back to work after maternity leave or are full of guilt every time they leave their child for the day while they're at the office.
All they think about is what they're missing: the kisses, the hugs and giggles. Moms, life is not a beautiful Instagram feed. There are drippy poops, melt downs and messes. As fabulous as being around your kids all day is, you need to look at the positives of being a working mom. There are many.
Besides "How tall are you?" (5'11) and "What's it like in a locker room?" (read THIS) by far the most common question I am asked is:
"How the heck do you walk in those heels?"
I am notorious for wearing high heels, despite my height. I have worn them for work for years: to ballparks, stadiums and on-set. I have worn them so long that walking around in them in second nature.
Having worked with athletes most of my life and hosted the Dallas Mavericks pre- and post-game shows for seven years, the extra height looks proportionate when I am interviewing 7-foot NBA players. Although, I have had a few pro athletes ask me to take off my shoes when I interview. (I'm saving those stories for the book...)
About five years ago my dermatologist told me that one of the best preventative measures I could incorporate into my anti-aging routine was to get photofacials.
Done. Sold. Where do I sign up?
High definition television cameras show every flaw, wrinkle and brown spot. Since then I have had about one photofacial per year. I could easily scale that to two or three per year but I just can't find the time. Without question, in terms of bang for your beauty buck, photofacials are worth it.
The result is gorgeous, plump and glowing skin. Photofacials help reduce fine lines but, for me, their biggest benefit is a smooth complexion. They reduce or even eliminate, in some cases, those brown spots caused by the sun. It can also help with acne scarring. I had terrible scars from the cystic acne I suffered from as a teenager. The scarring I had on my jawline is virtually gone.
I will never forget talking to a trainer in the late 90's who warned me of the dangers of fruit. Yes, fruit. He told me that while it was healthy, it was full of a simple sugar called fructose. He stressed I would never get as lean as I wanted to eating it.
This advice seemed counter-intuitive in regards to eating a healthful diet. Fruit is packed with nutrients, antioxidants and is full of fiber.
Sticker shock in Los Angeles is as ubiquitous as Botox (no judgement....I'm a fan). From homes and gasoline to cocktails and parking, there a sunny SoCal surcharge on every day life.
As someone always looking for deal, I was thrilled to learn about Little Dom's Monday Supper. This weekly tradition at the popular Los Feliz Italian spot offers a three-course dinner for $15. You can also pick up a (full!) bottle of house red or white wine for $15 as well. It's one of the best dining deals I've come across since free sushi night Steel in Dallas.
It's not every day you stumble across a Frank Lloyd Wright house while on a powerwalk. When you do, though, it's a magical moment and worthy of sharing. That's what so great about Los Angeles, you never what you might find.
I am working in LA this month, serving as a sportscaster for the legendary CBS duopoly KCBS/KCAL. Working most nights until at least 11pm, I spend my days getting to know the greater LA area which includes a fair amount of hiking in Griffith Park's trails or hoofing it in the hilly streets of Los Feliz. I am also a house nut, primarily obsessed with architecturally significant homes.
Plainly put: beautiful and interesting homes make my architecture pants go crazy. This city is a treasure trove for house lovers and today might have been a holy grail experience.
Do you hear that noise? It's the buzz surrounding a recent study which indicates reducing your calories foras few as five days a month can reduce risk factors for aging, cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The nice bonus? Weight loss.
Summer is my absolute favorite time of year, food-wise. The produce is delicious and the heat lends itself to eating it.
The warm weather is also motivation to keep us in shape. Why? Wearing less clothing in warmer weather is incredibly motivating. The easiest thing to do? Go for a simple 20-30 minute walk after dinner, three to four times a week. Do this in addition to your normal workout routine. That extra calorie burn will make a difference over the summer.
With Memorial Day behind us, summer has unofficially started. Pools are open which, in turn, means bathing suit season is here.
Are you ready? Me? Sorta.
Innergy Fitness owner, trainer and nutrition expert Stephanie Hanson recently shared a few secrets with me to help us feel better during the summer months. You know the routine: we're wearing tank tops, shorts and bathing suits. We want to feel good about doing that. Stephanie's tips can help. They don't require any crazy weight loss regime, diet pills or ridiculous exercise program. They're along the lines of the smart, simple strategies that I have been preaching for years.
Most restaurant meals are absolute fat pills. You can eat an entire day's worth of calories in one sitting. Whether you dine out for work or leisure, there are a number of strategies that can help you survive eating in restaurants without blowing your diet.
When it comes to beauty, what you put in your body is just as important as what you put on it. You can put all the anti-aging creams and potions on your skin you want but if your diet is crap, your skin will look like crap, too.
As we age our skin loses elasticity. Two 2014 studies by Skin Pharmacology and Physiology show that a daily regimen of collagen can improve skin's elasticity and improve eye wrinkles by around 20%. I'm all in for something that works.
Collagen is important because it maintains our skin's firmness and elasticity. In English: collagen keeps our skin tight and youthful-looking.
Audrey Hepburn said that memorable line in the movie Sabrina. It's the truth.
It's the truth. From the heat of summer to the chill of winter, the French capital consistently offers history, culture, diversity, entertainment and plain old fun. We haven't even talked about the food.
Where should I stay? What museums are worth my time? What stores should I visit? What day trips should I plan? Where should I eat?
Golf season is here. The PGA Tour makes two stops in Dallas/Fort Worth in May with the Dean & Deluca Invitational May 26th-29th and the AT&T Byron Nelson May 19th-22nd.I'm thrilled to be moderating the PGA Tour's Executive Women's Day panels at both tournaments against this year.
I am constantly asked what to wear to a golf tournament. When it comes to dressing for these events, consider style and comfort. You will be walking a few miles in the sun. To that end, you need wear comfortable shoes and lots of sunscreen. Those are key factors to enjoying a day on the course.
Comfort does not mean you have to sacrifice your style. You can go dressy or super-casual and still look great by using the two looks you see here as inspiration.
You will usually be the only woman in the majority of your work photos!
As graduation approaches, I am doing my tour of college and high school campuses speaking to sports broadcasting, sports management or sports marketing classes about careers in the sports industry. I love visiting with young professionals and hearing their questions.
I found a breath of fresh diet-advice air recently. It happened in the form of a New York Times article written by Aaron Carroll, a professor of pediatrics at Indiana State University School of Medicine titled "Simple Rules for Healthy Eating".
Carroll advocates the smart, simple approach to eating that helped me lose 50 pounds and keep it off for more than a decade. Here's the condensed version:
Any parent understands the turn of events that happened right before I snapped this grainy photo. My three year-old was in toddler purgatory: tired and cranky yet too tired to settle down and go to bed. Jordan had one of those days in which she had been blowing and going since 8am: school, an after-school visit to the grandparents house (which is usually filled with too many sweets) and a late dinner.
I told her we were going to relax and read a book. She stopped her fussy/cranky/tired crying and picked up Where Is Pidge?, the story of middle child Pidge Hoobler who feels lonely, somewhat overlooked and decides to run away but gets stuck in her family's laundry chute.
As soon as Jordan opened the book, she settled. She studied the first few pages and simply said, "Mommy, read this book."
Done. It was the calm after the storm.
Since then it has become a book we revisit three to four times a week. Out of the blue, Jordan will ask "Where is Pidge?", "Why was Pidge crying?" or even better "Pidge is happy?".
Ultimately Pidge realizes she's not forgotten, instead she is loved and appreciated by her family. A message that resonates not only with my daughter but with just about anyone.
I have worked with too many interns who came into the experience without direction, objectives or focus. They didn't know what they wanted to get out of their internship. That, my friends, is a mistake.
Internships are about more than just getting college credit. They help you establish habits, learn tangible career skills in a contextual setting and create a network that can be a springboard for a successful career.
I am often asked about becoming a sportscaster. From breaking into the industry to creating a demo tape, I receive hundreds of email a month from young professionals looking to enter the business as well as mid-career professionals wanting to purse their dream careers.
This interview I did with WorkInSports.com's Brian Clapp let's you inside the virtual locker room to share what a sportscaster's career narrative is really like. In short it's fun, exhilarating, exhausting, frustrating, rewarding and challenging. It's a lot of things, rolled into one. It's also a career that requires multiple talents and an open mind.
Read the entire piece. It answers a lot of questions you may have. Also read these stories:
I believe in the value of internships. Unfortunately, too many young professionals don't take advantage of that experience. I am putting the finishing touches on a guide that offers advice to help you (or your kid) do just that: maximize the internship experience. It features advice like this: "10 Mistakes To Avoid Making During Your Internship".
Want to be the first to know about the book launch AND cool internships, like these? Sign up for my internship newsletter. I'll send you career advice, amazing internships opportunities and details on my upcoming internship book.
Have a question about anything mentioned in this story? Leave a note in the comments section. Know someone who could use this? Please pass it along.
While certain foods are packed with vitamins, antioxidants, minerals and healthy fats they also contain carbs and calories. No matter how healthy, if you eat too much that can lead to weight gain.
With graduation only a few months away, this is the time of year my inbox fills with requests from students (and parents of students) who want help, insight and guidance on landing a job or internship in sports media.
Truth be told, it's one of the most exciting, challenging and downright fun career paths anyone can choose. You're covering games. You're interviewing All-Stars. You're traveling around the country, many times the world, to attend sporting events. You're doing things stuck-in-their-cubicle 9-to-5ers only wish they could do. Indoor sky diving with the Dallas Cowboys? Flying on a billionaire's private jet to watch his favorite football team play? Touring NBA players' mansions? Done. Done. And done. It's the coolest of cool jobs.
But it's not all jets, games and glam. A career in sports media requires more than just a passion for your favorite team, reading ESPN and trolling Twitter. It's work. Hard work. It also takes a fair amount of resilience because you will make mistakes, you will get criticized and you will get scooped on a story.
I have learned a lot during my sports media career which started in 1994 as a media services intern with the Houston Rockets and included stops in Guam, Knoxville, my hometown, Dallas and most recently Los Angeles. From truths about myself and the nature of individuals considered icons to the rhythms of a season and how to pose a question after a terrible loss, sports media is very much a business about people and relationships. To that end, there are certain things you should consider if you want a career in this industry.
Here are 14 things you need to know if you want a career in sports media:
Made by the legendary French skincare company, (which is now available at Target!) this lip balm is a honey-based product that truly does moisturize. Even better? You don't have to continually reapply like you do with Carmex or other lip balms.
I bought this in Paris last November for about €12 or ($13.23 at the current exchange). It retails for $19 in the US but is worth it, IMO.
I have a thing for Barrington Gifts. The Dallas-based company allows you to customize their bags, accessories and gifts so that your piece is a true reflection of your personal style.
Their Spring 2015 collection is on-trend yet timeless featuring a vibrant palette of colors and an updated selection of fun patterns.
Perhaps it's because I have a tried a slew of fad diets (and failed) but I love diets. I enjoyed learning the history of them, the science behind them, the failure rate behind them. You get the idea. There's even a fun, new book by New York magazine writer Rebecca Harrington chronicling her adventures in celebrity dieting titled "I'll Have What She's Having, My Adventures In Celebrity Dieting". This book is heaven for a diet lover like me.
The History Of Fad Diets
The LA Times had a great feature this weekend on the history of fad diets, starting all the way back in 1825 when French gastronome Jean Brillat-Savarin introduced a low-carb regime called "The Physiology of Taste".
Since then fad diets have included eating all caribou and whale blubber (GAG), bananas and skim milk, food combining, the grapefruit diet and the Drinking Man's Diet (which is exactly what you think it is). They also include more popular ones like the Paleo Diet, the South Beach Diet and the Zone Diet.
The thing is that many of these so-called "fad diets" don't work because it's almost impossible to adopt these habits permanently. Think about it: can you eat only grapefruit forever? Or caribou? Can you go Paleo in perpetuity? Probably not.
You can do almost anything for a few days. That's why many of these fad diets take off initially. You drop a few pounds at the start and start feeling like a million bucks.
Then, reality sets in and you realize you can't eat only skim milk and bananas or diet bars or cabbage soup for the rest of your life. That's why "diets" don't work.
If you read this blog, you know how I feel about dieting: eat well, mostly real food (produce and lean meats), get moving most days of the week and enjoy it. That's a recipe for success. As for dietary approaches, I love the Mediterranean philosophy which emphasizes plant-based food, replaces butter with healthy fats like olive oil, uses herbs and spices to flavor foods, limits red meat, advocated red wine and dark chocolate in moderation.
Your Fad Diet Experiments
Have you experimented with fad diets? I would love to learn about your crazy diet experiences, what worked and what didn't. Please share your diet disasters and success stories in the comments section. Don't worry. This is a judgement-free zone.
When I was fat, I tried the Zone & Atkins (hated them both). It wasn't until I made permanent changes, like closing the kitchen after dinner, that I experienced real weight loss. Want to learn how I did it? Get my free guide "The 10 Easiest Diet Tips: Simple Secrets To Help You Lose Weight & Maintain Your Weight Loss For Good". It's yours when you sign up for the The Real Skinny, my weekly newsletter that features simple diet and fitness tips designed for busy people who live in the real world, not fantasy-diet-land.
Do you have a trip planned to Surprise, AZ for Rangers Spring Training? Wondering about the Rangers schedule? How to meet players? Where to stay, eat and play?
There are few things I love more than a huge bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal. Seriously. The cinnamon-y sugar goodness on top of those little squares is better than, well...you know...a lot of things.
The thing is, a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch (or just about any other cereal, for that matter) can do more diet damage than good.
Here are 3 reasons why cereal makes us fat:
1. We don't stick to one serving size. Who does? I don't. A serving of Cinnamon Toast Crunch is only 3/4 of a cup. Really? NO ONE eats only 3/4 of a cup. It's more like two cups. That's serious damage: 325 empty calories and 22 (!) grams of sugar, without even adding the milk. Try eating your cereal with a teaspoon, instead of a tablespoon and out of a coffee cup instead of a bowl to trick your mind you're eating more. (Tweet this).
2. We add too much dried fruit and other crap. Craisins, raisins, dried apricots and the like can all be fat pills. They have barely any water which means they're dense in calories. While nuts are great, don't go too far. Add a few, not a handful. Use fresh fruit to get the benefit of more fiber and water content to help fill you up. Try higher-fiber and lower calorie berries. Half a cup of raspberries, for example, have 4 grams of fiber.
3. We eat kids cereal. There's a reason I don't keep Cinnamon Toast Crunch in the house: I would eat the whole box. These children's cereals provide a ton of sugar but little nutritional value. Kinda scary, actually. Look for cereals with fewer than 5 grams of sugar. Or make this oatmeal with peanut butter, apples and cinnamon. Delicious.
Why I Gave Up Breakfast Cereal
I gave up breakfast cereal about 15 years ago. Not coincidentally, I believe, I lost weight. I have no "off button" when it comes to breakfast cereal. I can't stop eating it, that's why I rarely eat Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Even when I'm trying to be "healthy" and have something like Fiber 1 or Kashi Go Lean, I usually end up eating two bowls of it and, you know what, I'm hungry a few hours later. Cereal is not a satiating food. In my opinion, it's a fat pill (Tweet this).
When you're eating breakfast, get some protein in the mix, whether it's eggs, whey protein powder, nut butter, low-sugar/high-protein yogurt or lean meat. Protein takes longer to digest than carbohydrates and keeps you full longer.
I love two scrambled eggs with salsa and spinach with a side of berries or a green smoothie with whey protein powder (make it with two handfuls of spinach or kale, half a banana and whatever berries you or other fruit you have on hand). When all else fails, I'll grab a few hard boiled eggs (boil a half dozen of them at the beginning of the week). If you can't give up your cereal, here are some low-sugar cereal options.
Do you like cereal or are you like me and try to keep out of the house? I'd love to know what your favorite breakfast is. Let me know in the comments section.
Get my free guide, "The 10 Easiest Diet Tips: Simple Secrets To Help You Lose Weight & Maintain Your Weight Loss For Good". It's yours free when you sign up for The Real Skinny, my weekly newsletter that shares super simple diet and fitness tips like this one.
Eggs and coffee can be part of a healthy diet. Whoo-Hoo!
Coffee and eggs are hip. In a big, fat healthy way.
The U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services assemble experts every five years to study and recommend dietary guidelines. Why? Because it's a dynamic thing. Scientists and experts are continually studying and learning new data. New dietary guidelines will be released at the end of 2015 but preliminary recommendations were released on Thursday.
Among the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee's recommendations:
Eggs Are Ok - experts say that dietary cholesterol is "not considered a nutrient of concern for overconsumption". In English - don't be so worried about the cholesterol in egg yolks or shrimp, for that matter.
Coffee Is Cool - between 3-5 cups of coffee per day can be a part of a healthy diet and can actually reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Don't add extra calories with tons of milk, cream or sugar. Out on coffee? Drink green tea.
Watch Added Sugar - added sugar should be no more than 200 calories a day. Average Americans are getting about 268 calories from added sugar right now. These are completely empty calories.
While You're At It, Watch The Salt - stay under 2300 milligrams per day. This can add up quickly.
Eat A Plant-Based Diet - duh. We know we need to do this.
Get my free guide, "The 10 Easiest Diet Tips: Simple Secrets To Help You Lose Weight & Maintain Your Weight Loss For Good". It's yours free when you sign up for The Real Skinny, my weekly newsletter that shares super simple diet and fitness tips like this one about the wonders of, what else, coffee.
As always, take all this advice to heart but check with a trusted medical professional if you plan on making significant dietary changes. Image via Justin Leibow
From jocksniffing to dawdling and donkeyjacking (the art of doing nothing when you should be doing something), I have seen interns do it all. Too often, we see interns doing things they shouldn't be. It's not solely their fault. Many times young professionals come into an internship without a solid understanding what is and isn't acceptable behavior. While we don't want to dwell on negative experiences, it bears discussing.
Whether you're a first-time intern or a seasoned, internship pro like Suzi Mellano (click HERE to read Suzi's story), here are important things to consider during your internship.
What Is Dermaplaning?
Dermaplaning is a fancy name for shaving your face with a scalpel blade. It takes off superficial layers of dead skin cells while also removing hair. It leaves your skin baby-bottom soft.
Every time you shave your legs don't they feel super soft? You're dermaplaning them! That's because you just shaved off superficial layers of skin.
If you are dieting and happen to have an avid dater (first of all, Lucky You!), the marriage of the two can be a bitch, though. You don't want to be that person who orders a salad with no dressing or pulls out your Weight Watchers app to calculate your point total for the day.
So how can you date while you're on a diet? It's not that difficult. You can still find love without losing control over your eating habits. Here are a few tips:
4 Tips To Diet While Dating & NOT Be High Maintenance
1. Don't Hesitate To Recommend The Restaurant - pick a place whose menu you know and trust. 2. Plan Ahead - when you know where you will be dining, check out the menu online so you can figure out what to order and what works within your diet. 3. Give Yourself A Break - this is perhaps my favorite tip. When you eat a quality, well-balanced diet, you don't have to be that high maintenance chick on a diet. There are so many ways to incorporate dining out into an overall healthy eating strategy. My Bonus Tip: Order two appetizers for dinner: select the smaller one as a starter and the larger one as your main course. The portions are smaller while the options are generally more interesting. Plus you can always nibble on your date's dish.
U.S. News & World Report has more. Want More Simple Diet Tips?
Get my free guide, "The 10 Easiest Diet Tips: Simple Secrets To Help You Lose Weight & Maintain Your Weight Loss For Good". It's yours free when you sign up for The Real Skinny, my newsletter sharing diet and fitness tips designed for the real world.
I have to vent: I have met so many new countless new-moms who are struggling with breastfeeding their newborns. You are not alone.
Three years ago, I was that struggling-to-breastfeed, sleep-deprived, maniacal new mom. I hear loads of stories from mothers who went through the same thing when their kids were young, too.
There are thousands of mothers out there struggling with this and not enough women talking about it.
Even when I was fat, I loved to exercise. A good workout produces chemicals, called endorphins, that make you feel better.
If you absolutely dread the thought of exercise, there are some tricks to help you learn to love it more.
Listen to a book or podcast on your iPod while walking or running. They key is to allow yourself to listen to them ONLY while working out; not in the car, at home or at the nail salon. This will get you excited about your workouts. A long power walk while listening to a book becomes an indulgent retreat. Listening to Stieg Larsson's Dragon Tattoo trilogy had me pushing my hour-long power walks to 90 minutes or two hours when I was trying to lose the baby weight. A good story makes time fly.
If you're at the gym, download some favorite TV shows or movies on your iPad. Sign up for Amazon Prime and watch whatever you like (assuming your gym has WiFi) while doing your cardio. Currently, I am catching up on season 2 of the The Americans on Amazon Primewhen I do my cardio workouts.This is an easy way to, again, enjoy every minute of your workout.
Think of it as an indulgence. Just like a massage, facial or visit to the nail salon, exercise is a brief moment during the day when you focus solely on yourself. You're not folding laundry, running errands or doing office work. You're doing something for you. And it's awesome.
Focus on how good you will feel AFTER your workout. This takes some energy but it works. When you're dreading that trip to the gym or power walk, remind yourself that you will feel a million times better after your workout. This simple act has gotten me out the door. And the thing is, it's not hooey. You really will feel a million times better after your workout.
Get The Real Skinny
So I wrote an ebook: "The 10 Easiest Diet Tips: Simple Secrets To Help You Lose Weight And Maintain Your Weight Loss For Good".
There is no food combining, disgusting diet powders or whacky MLM scheme involved in this book. It's simply a list of the easiest diet tips that can help you reach your goals whether you want to lose five pounds or 50.
It's yours free when you sign up for The Real Skinny, our digest of diet and fitness updates designed for people who have real lives in the real world. No trainers or personal chefs required (not that there's anything wrong with that).
For the first time in about a year, I had tall a Starbucks Skinny Vanilla Latte on Monday. It tasted like a warm hug on a cool Beaver Creek day. It was the perfect balance of sweet and toasty with a nice touch of cinnamon. It was heaven in a cup.
There's a reason, though, it was the first one I had in a long time: consuming lattes regularly, even skinny ones, can be a fat pill.
Learn how I lost 55 pounds and kept it off for more than a decade!
80% of my friends, girls AND guys, are on diets at any given time. They hate them. They stress over losing weight. They're miserable. They're making their spouses and significant others miserable, too.
Dieting doesn't have to be hard. Really.
By implementing simple changes, like the two-bite rule, you can save calories which will help you lose weight and maintain your weight loss for good. These tricks are designed for the long haul, not losing 10 pounds in a week. They're ridiculously easy tricks you can do the rest of your life without going crazy.
How do I know? I use one or two of them every day. They helped me lose more than 55 pounds and keep them off for more than a decade.
Learn The Secrets To Effortless Weight Loss & Maintenance
So I wrote an ebook: "The 10 Easiest Diet Tips: Simple Secrets To Help You Lose Weight And Maintain Your Weight Loss For Good".
There is no food combining, disgusting diet powders or whacky MLM scheme involved in this book. It's simply a list of the easiest diet tips that can help you reach your goals whether you want to lose five pounds or 50.
It's yours free when you sign up for The Real Skinny, our digest of diet and fitness updates designed for people who have real lives in the real world. No trainers or personal chefs required (not that there's anything wrong with that).
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